Combatting COVID-19: Precautionary measures at Jasper Lodge Care Centres
While we try our best to keep COVID-19 out of our homes, professional nursing homes like Jasper Lodge are doing all they can to keep COVID-19 away from their residents.
By now, we should be aware that COVID-19 can be life threatening especially for the elderly. According to Health director-general Datuk Dr Noor Hisham, seniors account for nearly two in three COVID-19 deaths in Malaysia.
Nursing homes have a high risk of becoming a COVID-19 outbreak source due to several reasons. Frequent hospital visits, family members come and go, living in close proximity with one another could contribute to the contraction and spreading of the virus.
In effort to combat COVID-19 and keep our nursing homes virus-free, Jasper Lodge Care Centres have been taking severe precautionary measures since early March 2020.
1. Body temperature check for all visitors and staff
All visitors and staff are required to have their body temperatures checked prior to entering all centres. Individuals who are experiencing a fever or carry flu-like symptoms are prohibited from entering our centres.
2. Completing self-declaration forms
Visitors and staff are also required to complete self-declaration forms before entering our centres. The self-declaration form would require visitors to affirm their health condition, travel history, and contact with COVID-19 patients. Those who do not fulfil the requirements are not allowed to enter Jasper Lodge Care Centres.
3. Movement restriction of all staff
To reduce the possibility of our staff contracting COVID-19, the management team of Jasper Lodge Care Centres have placed a strict order for its staff to only travel between their home / hostel and our centres. Staff that leave our centres to handle essential duties are required to wear a mask and be fully sanitized before returning for duty.
4. Reducing the number of visitors
As soon as we were aware of the COVID-19 outbreak in Malaysia, Jasper Lodge Care Centres had immediately release a notice to inform that only direct family members of the residents are allowed to visit. As of 21st March 2020, Jasper Lodge had strictly imposed a new regulation which no longer allowed any visitors to enter our centres in line with the government’s Movement Control Order.
5. Facilitating video calls among family members and the elderly residents
Considering that family members are not allowed to visit their elderly loved ones, we try our best to facilitate video calls between our residents and their family members. This would allow family members to follow up on their loved one’s condition, at the same time allowing them to stay in touch with one another.
6. Practice social distancing when family members send items to our centres
Though family members are not allowed to visit their elderly loved ones, they still need to send resident’s necessities such as diapers and medications to our centres. We encourage family members to notify the nurses before leaving the items outside of our centres and our staff will collect the items shortly after. This is to avoid direct contact between the staff and family members.
7. Maintaining hygiene and sanitization
We constantly remind our nurses to maintain their personal hygiene, at the same time helping our residents to do so as well. Frequent hand washing and maintaining the cleanliness of the premise is the simplest yet most effective method we can practice.
8. Strict admission and readmission policies
On 25th March, Jasper Lodge imposed strict admission and readmission procedures at all its centres. New admissions are required to present negative test results for COVID-19 and have their respiratory symptoms screened by our nurses. Patients returning from hospitals are required to present a declaration letter from the hospital to guarantee that the patient is COVID-19 free. For patients who are unable to present the required documents, Jasper Lodge Care Centres will take the initiative to organize a swab test for them and charge accordingly.
9. Setting up basic isolation rooms
All Jasper Lodge Care Centres that are taking in new admissions have set up basic isolation rooms for new admissions or patients with ambiguous health conditions. Entry to these isolation rooms are limited to Jasper Lodge staff only and patients residing in these rooms will be kept under a 14-days observation. The rooms will be thoroughly disinfected upon discharging or relocation of a patient.
With all the precautionary measures in place, Jasper Lodge Care Centres are minimizing the possibility of COVID-19 entering in. While you stay safe at home, let us reassure you that your elderly loved ones are as safe as they can be here with us. Their health and wellbeing are our greatest concern.